,,,,,«/%§@                                          @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,«/%§@#                                          #@§%/«,,,,
,,,«/%§@##                                          ##@§%/«,,,
,,«/%§@###                                          ###@§%/«,,
,,,«/%§@##                                          ##@§%/«,,,
,,,,«/%§@#               WINDS ESKER                #@§%/«,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§                                          §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/% THERE WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR  TWO YEARS %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ I COULDN'T  GO TO.  REGARDLESS HOW  MUCH /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« DISCUSSED  WITH OTHERS,  OR POINTED  OUT «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ ON  MAPS, I  COULD NOT THINK OF  IT WHEN /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/% ALONE.  I WOULD OFTEN  TRAVEL  PAST  THE %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§ FORK, WHERE  A RIGHT  TURN WOULD  SURELY §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ TAKE  ME THERE, BUT EVEN THEN, SOMETHING @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,«/%§@#              KEPT ME AWAY.               #@§%/«,,,,
,,,«/%§@##                                          ##@§%/«,,,
,,«/%§@### WHEN  I  FINALLY GOT THERE,  AFTER  SOME ###@§%/«,,
,,,«/%§@##     HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST     ##@§%/«,,,
,,,,«/%§@# ASSUME,  THE   PLACE   WAS  SURREAL.  AN #@§%/«,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ ESKER,  LIKE  A NEEDLE-THIN RIFT OUT  IN @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§ THE  LAKE,  BUT   TEN  METERS  HIGH  AND §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/% ADORNED  IN  BIRCH, WILLOW, BRACKEN, AND %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/               BLUEBERRIES.               /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,«                                          «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ WALKING  ATOP  THAT  SPINE,  I  CAME  TO /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/% NOTICE  THE VIEW  TO  EITHER SIDE. THERE %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§ SHOULD  BE  SHORES,  OF  COURSE,  BUT  I §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ DIDN'T  RECOGNIZE THEM. FIRST  OFF, THEY @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,«/%§@# WERE MUCH TOO CLOSE, AS THE LAKE  SHOULD #@§%/«,,,,
,,,«/%§@## STRETCH FOR  A  HUNDRED  METERS  MORE ON ##@§%/«,,,
,,«/%§@### BOTH  SIDES.  BUT  NOW  I  FELT I  COULD ###@§%/«,,
,,,«/%§@## ALMOST  REACH OUT  AND  TOUCH THEM.  AND ##@§%/«,,,
,,,,«/%§@# THEN, WHEN I REALIZED WHICH SHORES  THEY #@§%/«,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@           WERE, I HAD TO STOP.           @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§                                          §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/% THEY  WERE OF THE RIGHT LAKE.  BUT  THIS %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/       LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND      /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« BIPARTITE. LIKE  A PAIR OF  LUNGS CARVED «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ INTO  THE GRANITE, AND WITH NO LESS THAN /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/%   FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS   %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§      POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE      §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@    IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY     @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,«/%§@# UNDERSTOOD THEM AS BELONGING MANY  MILES #@§%/«,,,,
,,,«/%§@##                   AWAY.                  ##@§%/«,,,
,,«/%§@###                                          ###@§%/«,,
,,,«/%§@## I  EXAMINED   THE  RIDGE,  THE  TREELINE ##@§%/«,,,
,,,,«/%§@# ABOVE. WAS THIS  WHAT YOU SAW  OPPOSITE, #@§%/«,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ FROM  THOSE  OTHER  SHORES?  I  COULDN'T @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§                 REMEMBER.                §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/%                                          %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ CARRYING  FORWARD,  ON  THE  VERY TIP OF /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« THE  ESKER, I FOUND THE  RUINS  OF  SOME «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/    OLD BUILDING. THERE WERE OVERGROWN    /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/%  MARBLE STAIRCASES, STONE FLOORS BENEATH %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§ THE  MOSS, AND  STRANGE  SLABS  INSERTED §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ INTO  THE  SLOPE LIKE DAMS  AGAINST  THE @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,«/%§@#              GROUND ITSELF.              #@§%/«,,,,
,,,«/%§@##                                          ##@§%/«,,,
,,«/%§@### SITTING  THERE, I  COULD SEE ACROSS  THE ###@§%/«,,
,,,«/%§@## NARROWED LAKE MY ENTIRE PATH TO  WHERE I ##@§%/«,,,
,,,,«/%§@# SAT: FROM  THE  STAIRWELL  OF MY  HOUSE, #@§%/«,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ THROUGH  THE OLD WOODS  BEHIND THE  TILE @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§      FACTORY, THE BRIDGE OVER ROUTE      §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/% TWENTY THREE  AND  THEN  BACK  UNDER IT, %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ THROUGH  THE  FANCY  VILLAS,  OVER   THE /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,« FIELDS, AND THEN THAT  RIGHT TURN AT THE «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/                   FORK.                  /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/%                                          %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§ AND  THEN  THE STAIRS  UP ON  THE RIDGE. §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ THINKING  BACK,  THIS  WAS PROBABLY  IT. @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,«/%§@# HIDDEN  IN A  GROVE,  THERE WERE  STAIRS #@§%/«,,,,
,,,«/%§@## MUCH LIKE THE ONES I CURRENTLY  SAT  ON, ##@§%/«,,,
,,«/%§@### OLD  AND  WORN  DOWN, THAT  LEAD  YOU UP ###@§%/«,,
,,,«/%§@## ONTO THE  ESKER. THE POINT OF ENTRY. HAD ##@§%/«,,,
,,,,«/%§@# I INSTED  OPTED  TO WALK THE PATH AT ITS #@§%/«,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@ FOOT,  I'M  SURE MY  EXPERIENCE WOULD'VE @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/%                                          %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,«                                          «,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«/ ON  THE  LAKE,   THERE  WERE  PEOPLE  IN /«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«/% BOATS. I WONDERED, COULD  THEY  EVEN SEE %/«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«/%§ ME?  IF I SHOUTED,  WOULD  THEY  TURN TO §%/«,,,,,,
,,,,,«/%§@          STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?         @§%/«,,,,,
,,,,«/%§@#                                          #@§%/«,,,,
,,,«/%§@##                                          ##@§%/«,,,
,,«/%§@###                                          ###@§%/«,,
,,,«/%§@##                                          ##@§%/«,,,
,,,,«/%§@#                                          #@§%/«,,,,